Bon Viveur by DJ Downfall
Back in 1997, only two people seemed interested in an 80s revival. One was future Madonna producer Stuart Price, gamely trying to persuade people to trade Britpop casual for Miami-Vice style rolled-up jacket sleeves. The other was the perennially underrated DJ Downfall, whose first single was dedicated to Weird Science star Kelly LeBrock.
Now he has broadened his palette and enlisted vocalists to create exquisitely melancholic bedsit synth-pop. Stronger on the Breaks is a woman's heartsick address to a gay friend ("Yeah, I wish you were straight"), while The Hours mourns "the hours that I put in to be the other girl". There is dancefloor propulsion, too, on the Bangles-meet-Goldfrapp Seven Dials and the gorgeous retro techno title track. Acknowledging kinship with Stephin Merritt's Future Bible Heroes project, the last track is a cover of Merritt's All Dressed Up in Dreams: the perfect end to an immaculate album.
Tracklist
| 1. | You Want Me | 4:10 |
| 2. | I Can Do Anything | 3:23 |
| 3. | Bon Viveur | 4:07 |
| 4. | Stronger On The Breaks | 3:50 |
| 5. | The Hours | 5:13 |
| 6. | Crown Deep | 1:33 |
| 7. | Films | 3:45 |
| 8. | Seven Dials | 3:27 |
| 9. | To Bring You Joy | 4:53 |
| 10. | All Dressed Up In Dreams | 3:24 |
